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Over 400 Varanasi teachers of government primary schools trained to enhance English speaking, teaching

By, Varanasi
Jan 18, 2025 05:22 PM IST

English speaking training is being provided with the goal of improving the English speaking skills of teachers

Preeti Asthana, a teacher at the Government Composite School in Bhatsar, Varanasi, now confidently interacts with her students in English during classroom sessions. Similarly, Priyanka Singh, a teacher at a Primary School in Jagatpur, also engages with her students in English with newfound confidence.

Activities such as confidence-building exercises, vocabulary practice, and pronunciation correction helped teachers overcome their hesitation and speak English fluently. (FOR REPRESENTATION)
Activities such as confidence-building exercises, vocabulary practice, and pronunciation correction helped teachers overcome their hesitation and speak English fluently. (FOR REPRESENTATION)

Asthana and Singh are among the 400 teachers from various government primary and junior schools across two developmental blocks, Araziline and Sewapuri in Varanasi, who attended a six-day English-speaking training programme, Gurushala, conducted by English proficiency experts.

“English speaking training is being provided with the goal of improving the English speaking skills of teachers, which will, in turn, benefit the children in the government primary schools,” said Arvind Pathak, Basic Shiksha Adhikari, Varanasi.

He said, “English speaking experts from a non-government organisation, Pratham, have so far provided training to over 400 teachers of government primary and upper primary schools. In coming days, at least 2100 more teachers across 1100 schools in Varanasi district will get English speaking training.”

“The programme is aimed to improve their English communication abilities, enabling them to conduct engaging and interactive classroom activities,” said Himanshu Nagpal, chief development officer of Varanasi.

“Implemented in two phases, the programme began basic English conversation skills and advanced to more complex classroom communication techniques. Teachers underwent six days of in-person training sessions over the year, supported by weekly online practice sessions and digital content shared through WhatsApp to improve listening and vocabulary skills,” said Nagpal.

Activities such as confidence-building exercises, vocabulary practice, and pronunciation correction helped teachers overcome their hesitation and speak English fluently, added Nagpal.

The impact of the programme has been notable. Teachers are now confidently engaging in basic English conversations and leading activities in their classrooms, creating a dynamic learning environment for students, he further added.

The training has been driving significant educational advancements in the Araziline and Sewapuri blocks of the Varanasi district, he added.

Recently, a meeting was organised where teachers demonstrated innovative English activities.

Head master of Government Primary School in Bhatsar, Veerendra Mishra said, “The training has considerably improved basic English speaking of the teachers who attended Gurushala. In my school, children are now learning English Speaking and some of them have even started speaking a few sentences in English.”

“In coming days, our children will interact in English just like the children of convent schools,” Mishra added.

Amit Chand, a student at Primary School Bhatsar, shared, “We are learning English speaking. Mam teaches us the basics of English and interacts with us in English.”

Gurushala, an initiative of Vodafone Idea Foundation implemented in government schools by Pratham Education Foundation in collaboration with the district basic education department.

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